Music Soothes the Sutured Breast?

According to a study published by anesthesiologists Chakib Ayoub, Laudi Rizk, Chadi Yaacoub, Dorothy Gaal, and Zeev Kain at the Yale School of Medicine, music reduces intraoperative sedative requirements in patients who received surgical procedures under anesthesia.

The study of 36 patients at the Yale–New Haven Hospital and 54 at the American University of Beirut Medical Center had the subjects wear headphones during the procedures. They were randomly chosen to hear music they liked, white noise, or nothing at all, other than the operating room sounds. Blocking the OR sounds with white noise did not seem to decrease patients’ need for sedatives, but patients hearing their favorite music required less medication.

"Doctors and patients should both note that music can be used to supplement sedation in the operating room," said Dr. Kain. Audiophiles should probably bring their favorite headphones and amplifiers in addition to their musical selections or they risk raised blood pressure at the thought of what passes for acceptable fidelity in most cases—or so we at stereophile.com speculate. Perhaps we can persuade audiophile doctors to follow up the Yale study with one that addresses this issue.

X